Three days later, the Blackwater Bay was turbulent. Ser Imry Florent, Commander of Stannis's Royal Fleet (Chapter 233), gazed at the Red Keep towering on Visenya's Hill, its dark structure close to the lemon-colored sky, with the Blackwater River estuary beneath it.
The shifting winds made the sails creak and groan. Ser Imry gave orders from the fury, "Furl sails! Lower masts! Oarsmen to your stations!"
Aooooooh.
The booming war horns pierced the sea, their cries hoarse and deep. The Commander's orders were relayed from ship to ship.
"Down oars!"
"Form ranks!"
Receiving the command from the fury, the fleet's oar officers beat their drums. The thundering drumbeats were like massive, slow heartbeats; with each beat, an oar moved, perfectly synchronized.
...
Ser Imry showed a look of disdain. The hastily assembled boy king's fleet had fewer than 50 dilapidated ships, which his captains jokingly called children's toys.
Their total number of ships was four times that of Lannister's. He directly arranged the fleet into ten battle lines, each consisting of twenty warships.
Ser Imry's tactic was: the first two lines would clear the river, destroying the Lannister fleet. The ships following immediately behind would first land large numbers of archers and spearmen below King's Landing, then join the battle on the Blackwater River. The smallest and slowest ships were placed at the rear, responsible for transporting Stannis's cavalry from the south bank to the north bank. The fleet at the very end of the procession would remain in Blackwater Bay, to prevent Lannister from hiding their warships along the shore and ambushing their rear.
...
The sea was filled with a clamor of shouts, cries, the tremolo of horns and drums, and the sound of thousands of wooden oars rising and falling, striking the water.
The current at the mouth of the Blackwater River was strong and swift. Through the surging white foam and rhythmic splashing, the signal for a general attack came from the fury's foredeck.
Aooooooh, Aooooooh.
"Full speed ahead!" the captains roared.
Under the oar officers' commands, the drumbeats quickened, and the speed of the strokes followed suit, oar tips flying over the water.
Heave-ho—whoosh.
Heave-ho—whoosh.
Heave-ho—whoosh.
On the ships' decks, infantrymen struck their shields with swords, while archers swiftly strung their bows, drawing feathered arrows from their quivers at their waists.
War drums pounded furiously, oars rose and fell, and the ships of the first battle line cut through the waves, entering the Blackwater River.
The Red Keep had iron-reinforced fortifications, colossal keeps, and thick red walls. The cliffs below the fortress were rocky and steep, dotted with moss and thorns... it seemed to crouch atop the high hill, like a ferocious beast watching Stannis's fleet enter the Blackwater River.
...
When Stannis's fleet entered the Blackwater River, the Lannister fleet began to retreat upstream as per Tyrion's orders.
Stannis's massive fleet seemed to stretch to the horizon. As more and more ships entered the Blackwater River, the distance between them grew smaller, and their formation became dense.
Suddenly, dozens of burning pitch pots, trailing long fiery tails, arced from the Red Keep and fell into the river.
The river swallowed most of the flaming pitch pots; only a few smashed onto the decks of the ships, exploding and scattering sparks.
A second wave of attacks, mixed with flying arrows, followed immediately, throwing the soldiers on the ships into disarray.
...
From the battlements of the Red Keep, the golden crowned stag banner of House Baratheon and the red roaring lion banner of House Lannister flew high.
Pitch pots rained down, and the Blackwater River's surface was filled with flames, screams, and wails.
On the south bank of the Blackwater River, beneath the Flaming Heart banner, the army was arrayed, soldiers dragging crude rafts into the water.
In the smoke on the other side, Stannis's ships near the bank lowered their gangplanks. Archers who disembarked held their bows high to keep the strings dry, wading chaotically into the shallows. As they rushed into the narrow beachhead, stones rained down from the city walls, mixed with arrows and spears, causing soldiers near the walls to fall one after another.
At this moment, the Gold Cloaks' cavalry suddenly appeared. They charged down the riverbank, their warhorses' iron hooves splashing through the shallows. The knights plunged into the archers, charging wildly, like wolves among sheep, instantly causing flesh and blood to fly.
The infantry quickly arrived, using long spears and battle axes to resist the cavalry charge, buying time for the archers to regroup.
...
At the top of Visenya's Hill, the bright sun reflected off the seven crystal spires of the Great Sept of Baelor, shining brilliantly.
Behind the city walls, giant trebuchets emerged—one... two... three... all raising their arms.
Hundreds of head-sized stones climbed high into the sky, then rapidly plummeted, either creating huge splashes or piercing through ship decks, crushing people into shattered bones and pulp.
Water rapidly poured into the large holes smashed into the ships, and groups of soldiers fell into the river. The living struggled to survive, the dead floated silently, while soldiers wearing plate or chainmail, whether dead or alive, immediately sank to the riverbed, no longer moving.
Suddenly, a flash of green light caught Ser Imry's eye, flying ahead and falling to the port side. In an instant, he seemed to see a nest of emerald vipers hissing, rising, churning, and burning.
"Wildfire!" Cries filled with despair and fear immediately rose in succession.
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